Chapter 118

KATE

I was returning from the restaurant where I had dinner with my father. That was definitely the best gift, especially after he didn't come to my graduation because of work issues. Spending the day with him brought me peace above all.

However, when I left him at the hotel, I felt sad and thought about canceling the planned meeting with my friends. But when I remembered that I would have to face Lisa and Mary together today, I felt afraid and decided to go ahead.

After a long shower and a good dose of body lotion, I chose a black dress that I had recently bought. It had a striking neckline, enhancing my breasts, was light, and accentuated my curves. Feeling comfortable was the most important thing for me today.

I washed my hair and just blow-dried it; it smelled so good. I loved the natural waves that started below my shoulders and went all the way to the end. Most of the time, I left them loose like that. I looked for the pair of shoes I liked the most, a Christian Louboutin pump that Lisa had convinced me to buy some time ago.

She said every woman of good taste should have one of those. Despite costing a fortune, she was somewhat right. After finishing my light makeup with lipstick, I heard someone knocking on the door. My heart raced, and I laughed to myself.

It was Lisa and Mary's first meeting, although they had already exchanged contacts. I felt like I was heading towards the eye of the storm.

Mary squealed when I opened the door to my apartment.

"You look incredible," she said.

"So do you," I replied as she handed me a bag from the La Perla brand.

"I think you're going to love it because I loved it."

"This isn't what I think it is, is it?"

"Come on, open it," she squealed with excitement.

We sat on the couch and opened the bag.

"Wow... Oh my God..." It was a magnificent and extremely sensual lingerie set, with lots of sheer lace, silk, and garter stockings. "It's beautiful, Mary. Thank you."

"Well, I thought of something like that. Besides giving a gift, I can help her break free," she laughed.

"Oh, stop it."

"And where is the famous Lisa Dickens?"

"That's what I'm afraid of."

My phone rang.

"Speaking of the devil."

Mary laughed as I answered.

"Where are you guys? I'm waiting downstairs in the taxi."

"Coming down in a minute, see you soon."

After a ride to the nightclub filled with whispers and giggles from the two of them in the backseat, we met the guys outside: Brad, Matt, and his new girlfriend, Helena, a brunette who seemed different from the girls he used to get involved with.

After many congratulations and hugs, we entered. The girls had reserved a booth with a table and a sofa that could accommodate more people than our group had.

The place was well-attended. Mary had chosen it, and she loved the men from the New York elite. But she already had a date, which made me uneasy. Seeing her getting involved with Ryan's best friend could result in unwanted encounters. But he wouldn't have the audacity to show up here.

Wrong. He did. And there he was, Nathan Ryan, standing next to Stephan and Bennett. They stopped at a good distance, while Ben continued walking towards us. I felt sick. Shit. He looked incredibly handsome and hot in that outfit. I was determined to spend the rest of the night sitting in that spot.

"Katherine?" Bennett called my attention. I stood up, trying to take my eyes off Ryan, and hugged Ben as he congratulated me. Then he turned his attention to Mary, whom he introduced to the others.

"Lisa, I need to go to the bathroom," I touched her arm, and she narrowed her eyes at me. I was feeling really sick.

"I hope this has nothing to do with Ryan's arrival."

She asked if Mary wanted to accompany us as I walked ahead.

In the bathroom, I stopped in front of one of the mirrors and took a deep breath. Two girls came out, leaving me alone with them.

"Kate, I really hope what Lisa just told me isn't true."

"Leave me alone."

"None of that. You need to ignore that bastard Ryan and enjoy your night," Lisa said, hands on her waist, visibly angry with me.

"And what a bastard..." Mary laughed, biting her lower lip. "I'm definitely going to ask Ben to introduce me to that man up close."

"You're not helping, Mary," Lisa warned her.

"Oh, come on! He's handsome. By the way, I'm really mad at you, Kate, because it was Lisa who told me that he is the man who makes you find sex with other guys dull.

"Probably because she was afraid of what you would think."

"What would I think? That she's a lucky girl?"

"Kate was afraid because the relationship started when she worked as his assistant."

"Wow! That must be very exciting, like those movies where there's a hot boss and a..." Lisa gestured for her to stop. "Right. Sorry." I stood there, listening to them talk about my life.

"The problem here is that Kate still hasn't gotten over that bastard."

"Why does it seem like you hate him more than Kate herself?"

"Because I saw what he did to her."

"But Kate still likes him, doesn't she?"

"Hey! I'm here, stop talking about my life as if I'm not."

"We would stop if you hadn't had a meltdown because your ex is here."

"Lisa is right. We just want to help you."

"Then you better take me home."

"Oh, that's out of the question."

"She's right again," Mary laughed.

"You're driving me crazy."

"We just want you to enjoy yourself, Kate. And I think Mary and I know how to get over an ex, don't we?" They exchanged glances and smiled at each other, which scared me.

"Of course, it's hard to get over twenty-something centimeters. But we can do something." Mary whispered to Lisa.

"I'm still here, and I can hear you," I rolled my eyes.

"It was you who said it, Kate. I still remember."

"That's enough. I'd rather face Ryan than be tortured by you two." They laughed as I left the bathroom.

Throughout the rest of the night, the girls made an effort to keep my glass from being empty, but I wouldn't allow them to do that to me. I kept control and only drank a little. Ryan had disappeared from sight, perhaps looking for a new victim. I enjoyed the girls' naughty jokes and the flowing conversation. Brad went off in search of some girl, and Bennett returned to our table, bringing Stephan with him.

As he approached, he gave me a big hug. The feeling of affection I had for him was inexplicable. After the introductions, he easily made friends with Lisa, even though she was trying to ignore him because he was Ryan's brother, but Stephan was persistent. It made me want to laugh. The feeling I had was that everyone here was going to have sex, except me. It was so ironic.

"Where are you going?" Lisa asked. I shrugged. "Go back to the champagne, okay?" She shouted as I made my way through the people crowding the dance floor. Deafening electronic music was playing. I ended up bumping into a tall guy who turned and grabbed my arm to prevent me from falling.

"Are you okay?"

"Yes, thank you," I said before looking up and seeing a beautiful smile and a charming face. He had a naturally seductive gaze that sent shivers down my spine. I think I was starting to like the men of the New York elite, too. "Excuse me," I said, fleeing.

I went to the bar and ordered some water. Something was pounding in my head. Nathan was here, he knew it was my birthday, but he didn't even come over to congratulate me. What was he doing, and where was he? I looked around carefully, but I didn't see him anywhere. Maybe he had left.

I returned to our table, realizing that it seemed like I was trying to find him. Everyone was back.

"There she is. Come on, Kate. Let's make a toast," Lisa said.

Stephan was laughing next to Lisa, who asked for silence.

"I'll start... Well, today I want to toast to this woman I've known for a few years, and all I can say is that she is one of the most determined people I've ever met and also a very loyal friend." She was looking deep into my eyes, and it almost made me cry. "And I know I don't need to wish you wonderful things because you can achieve them with your determination. But I want you to know that I'll always be here when you need me. Always. I love you." I was doing my best to hold back the tears.

"You're going to make me cry. Thank you for everything," I give her a tight hug.

"Okay. Now it's my turn. Before we toast, I want to add a few things..." Mary held my hands. "I want to tell you how much I admire you, Kate. You're a spectacular woman, beautiful, and truly an incredible friend. Even though I've known you for a short time, you managed to win my friendship, respect, affection, and complete admiration. Know that you can always count on me for anything. I love you." She hugged me. "So... a toast to this beautiful, attractive, and intelligent woman."